


Let's Do the Time Warp Again

by vanillalime



Category: Oz (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Groundhog Day (1993) Fusion, Community: hardtime100, Fix-It, Groundhog Day, Multi, Time Loop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-16 13:04:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18522106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanillalime/pseuds/vanillalime
Summary: Toby re-lives Visiting Day with his children over and over, for better or worse.





	Let's Do the Time Warp Again

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted from LiveJournal. Written for the Hardtime100 challenge prompt "Groundhog Day."
> 
> Setting is early Season 4. Although there is a degree of artistic license here, I tried hard to keep the timing and nature of events true to canon.

**~ Day 1 ~**  
  
Toby wakes up to the obnoxious sound of a horn echoing throughout Em City. He blearily rubs his eyes and tries not to smile _(don't smile, ever),_ but it's hard not to. He knows that today is going to be a good day.  
  
At least, as good as a day in Oz can possibly be.  
  
It’s Visiting Day, and Gary and Holly and his mother are coming to see him. These are the days that get him through every other day, when the beauty and purity of his family wipe out the ugliness and evil that permeate Oz.  
  
"Count!" Murphy’s voice calls out.  
  
As if a quick pace will hasten the hands of time, Toby eagerly climbs out of bed and launches himself into the day’s rendering of The Routine. He practically bounces out the door for count, then trots toward the showers where he impatiently elbows Ryan O’Reily aside. He hurries through a lukewarm wash and, hands shaking with excitement, nicks himself shaving.  
  
Back in his pod, he realizes that the only clean clothes he has are a pair of faded blue pants and an old gray sweatshirt. They will have to do. He throws them on and makes a mental note to do his laundry later.  
  
Toby then heads toward the cafeteria, where today’s uninspired breakfast menu consists of a choice between Regular Oatmeal and the Oatmeal Deluxe. He asks for the deluxe, and the server takes a bowl of regular oatmeal and sprinkles raisins on top.  
  
"Lookin’ to keep yourself regular, huh?" the guy snorts as he hands Toby his food. Normally, Toby would respond with a snarky retort, but today he doesn’t. He refuses to let this smartass kill his good mood.  
  
He sits down at a nearby table, and his eyes pass longingly over the empty seat in front of him. Thoughts of his family are momentarily set aside as he reflects instead on the events from the previous day. Thanks to a surprising act of compassion by Sister Pete, he had finally caught a glimpse of Chris, relaxing in a hospital bed, confirming once and for all that he was alive and on the mend. Chris had lazily returned Toby's smile with one of his own, and it had been a calming experience, driving away all the anxiety and fear Toby had felt since the shooting.  
  
Knowing that Chris would soon be back in Em City, safe and sound, in his arms… well, the prospect of seeing his family today isn't the only reason for Toby's positive state of mind.  
  
Toby devours his breakfast, then makes his way toward Sister Pete’s office. As he steps inside, she looks up at him from her desk and grins. "Having a good day, Tobias?"  
  
Impressed by her perceptiveness, Toby can’t help but to grin back. "Is it that obvious?"  
  
"You have the air of a child on Christmas morning," she informs him.  
  
Toby responds with a self-conscious chuckle. He sits down, picks up a file, and proceeds to count down the minutes until ten o'clock.  
  
When the time arrives, Mineo opens the door. "You ready?"  
  
Toby is more than ready.  
  
Mineo leads him to the visiting room, where Gary and Holly are anxiously waiting. Leaping out of their seats, they rush toward him, and Toby experiences a sensory overload. He hears their musical shouts of "Daddy!" and sees their bright smiles. He feels their soft bodies as he draws them close and smells the sweet shampoo from their hair. He savors every detail of the moment, knowing that its memory will be what gets him through that next inevitable rough patch, the one that’s always lurking just around the corner.  
  
Clutched in Holly’s hand is a new picture book, _The Unicorn Princess,_ and she begs him to read it to her. Toby finds its silly, repetitive phrases and garish illustrations to be surprisingly charming. Gary shows him a stack of new Pokémon trading cards and explains with great enthusiasm what each card means and how they can be used in a game that Toby will never understand but pretends to find fascinating.  
  
Sixty minutes goes by like sixty seconds, and Mineo motions that their time is up. Just when Toby feels like he’s connecting with his children, he has to say goodbye. The children stall for more time, so he makes promises of what they’ll do the next time they come to visit. He quickly dispenses more hugs and kisses, thanks his mother for coming, and reluctantly follows Mineo out the door.  
  
Seconds later, a young, dark-haired man makes his way into the room through the visitors’ entrance.  
  
Hank Schillinger is here to see his father.  
  
  
**~ Day 2 ~**  
  
The horn blares, and Toby wakes up with a small smile. He doesn’t care who sees it. During the night, his usual nightmares had been replaced by happy dreams of his children and their unconditional love. He wishes that every day in Oz could be as good as yesterday.  
  
He slowly gets up and, once again, goes through The Routine. Murphy calls count. O’Reily hogs the showers. Toby shaves, nicking himself in the same spot as he did the day before. He returns to his pod and grabs his only clean clothes—a pair of blue pants and a gray sweatshirt.  
  
Toby freezes as he looks at the clothes in his hand, confused. Slowly, his eyes drift to the laundry basket in the corner of the pod, filled to the brim with the same dirty clothes that Toby swears he had washed the night before.  
  
Had he only dreamt of doing his laundry? Not likely. Someone’s idea of a practical joke? Doubtful.  
  
Paranoia slowly creeps through Toby. More than likely, he is being set up for something. Probably by O’Reily. Toby rummages through the basket, but finds nothing but clothes. He rubs his forehead and sighs. Such is life in Oz.  
  
He walks to the cafeteria. Oatmeal, again. Toby asks for the deluxe.  
  
"Lookin’ to keep yourself regular, huh?" sneers yesterday’s smartass. Toby cocks an eyebrow, wondering if this guy is going to make the same joke every time the cafeteria serves oatmeal for breakfast.  
  
He sits down to eat, and his concern about whatever scheme O’Reily has cooked up fades away as he looks across the table at the empty space in front of him. It’s entirely possible that Chris could be discharged from the hospital ward today, and that prospect brings the hint of a smile back to Toby’s face. As he walks toward Sister Pete’s, he tries to think more of Chris and less of the mystery of the unwashed clothes.  
  
When Toby opens the door to her office, Sister Pete looks up at him and grins. "Having a good day, Tobias?"  
  
Toby cocks his head and stares at her for a moment before finally replying, "Uh, yeah. I guess."  
  
"You have the air of a child on Christmas morning."  
  
A wave of déjà vu overwhelms him, and Toby quickly sits down at his computer. A full minute goes by before he picks up a folder.  
  
At ten o’clock, Mineo knocks and opens the door. Glancing in Toby’s direction, he asks, "You ready?"  
  
Toby furrows his brow. "Ready for what?"  
  
Mineo rolls his eyes.  
  
"Really, Tobias," laughs Sister Pete. "As if you haven’t been sitting there counting down the minutes until you can see your children."  
  
Toby’s eyes open wide. "My children?"  
  
Mineo waves impatiently toward the door, grumbling, "I don’t have time for games."  
  
Dumbfounded, Toby gets up and follows Mineo through the familiar maze of corridors. Surely, some kind of mistake has been made, but if it means seeing his children again, he’s not about to question it.  
  
Mineo opens the door to the visiting room and ushers Toby inside. Gary and Holly rush toward him yelling "Daddy!" while Toby stands and stares at them in disbelief. The force of their hugs knocks him out of his stupor. He searches his mother’s face for a possible explanation, but she just smiles benignly. Through his haze, he somehow notices that they’re all wearing the same clothes as yesterday.  
  
Holly shows Toby her new book, _The Unicorn Princess_ , and begs him to read it to her. Toby obliges, and when he’s finished, Gary promptly shows him his new set of Pokémon cards. Toby looks at the cards, one at time, while Gary explains what each one represents and how it can be played. They’re the same cards that he showed Toby yesterday.  
  
Despite his confusion, Toby clings to every moment with his family. When Mineo signals that time is up, he’s crestfallen. Lengthy hugs and multiple kisses are exchanged, and his mother promises that they’ll all be back soon.  
  
As Toby walks out of the room, Hank Schillinger walks in.  
  
  
**~ Day 3 ~**  
  
A horn screeches, and Toby longs for a snooze button.  
  
"Count!"  
  
With a groan, he forces himself out of bed and blindly staggers across the room. He trips over his laundry basket, sitting in a corner of the pod, overflowing with unwashed clothes. Toby catches himself, then stops and stares it.  
  
He had done all his laundry the night before. He’s absolutely sure of it. After the odd events of yesterday, he had meticulously taken note of each item of clothing as he folded it and put it away.  
  
"Beecher, get your ass out here!"  
  
With a huff of exasperation, Toby joins the others for count. He glances down the line and catches Ryan O’Reily’s eye. Ryan returns the look with an undeniable smirk that Toby finds infuriating.  
  
After count is finished, Ryan heads to the showers. Retreating back into his pod, Toby watches and waits. When Ryan finally exits, Toby grabs his laundry basket and falls in step behind him.  
  
"Hey, O’Reily."  
  
Ryan turns around, and Toby angrily shakes the basket of dirty clothes at him. "Are you responsible for this?"  
  
For a brief moment, utter bewilderment passes over Ryan’s face. Then he recovers, muttering, "Fuck off." He enters his pod and starts to get dressed.  
  
Toby hesitates, but follows him inside.  
  
Zipping his pants, Ryan snarls, "What the fuck, Beecher? Did I say you could come in?"  
  
Cyril waves unsurely from his bed. "Hi, Toby."  
  
Toby shoves the basket toward Ryan. "Are you responsible for this?" he asks again, louder this time.  
  
When Ryan responds with nothing but stunned silence, Toby raises the basket high and flips it upside down, dumping his dirty laundry over Ryan’s head and onto the floor of the pod.  
  
"Jesus Christ!" jumps Ryan. "What the fuck’s gotten into you?"  
  
Kicking the pile of clothes, Toby retorts, "Is this because I pushed you out of my way in the showers? Is that what this is about?"  
  
Bouncing back, Ryan snaps, "Goddammit, Beecher. Not gettin’ it in the ass from Keller has caused you to go off the deep end. Again." He makes a threatening move, but Cyril quickly steps between them, diffusing the situation.  
  
A beat passes, then Ryan turns away and storms out the pod, yelling over his shoulder, "Pick your shit up and get out!"  
  
Toby kneels down and wipes a hand over his face. He suddenly has a terrible headache.  
  
Cyril helps him pick up his clothes, and Toby takes his laundry back to his pod. Maybe he’ll feel better after he eats breakfast. Maybe things will make more sense then. He rushes through a late shower, nicks himself shaving, and heads to the cafeteria.  
  
Oatmeal. Deluxe.  
  
"Lookin’ to keep yourself regular, huh?"  
  
Toby stands still and glares at Mr. Smartass. The people behind him in line have to shout to get him moving again.  
  
He sits at a table by himself and eats, feverishly wishing that Chris was sitting there across from him. Chris would probably have some kind of explanation for what’s going on.  
  
Toby sighs wistfully. He really misses Chris. Maybe today’s the day he will finally be discharged from the hospital.  
  
His dick twitches, and a lopsided grimace forms on his face. Perhaps O’Reily is right—maybe he just needs a good fuck.  
  
"Having a good day, Tobias?" Sister Pete asks when he walks into her office.  
  
"No, not exactly."  
  
"Oh, I’m surprised to hear you say that," she responds sincerely. "You have the air of a child on Christmas morning."  
  
Toby sits down and stares wordlessly at her for a long time. He refuses to get his hopes up, but he watches the clock closely. Sure enough, Mineo arrives promptly at ten.  
  
Toby unquestioningly follows him to the visiting room.  
  
"Daddy!"  
  
Toby’s concerns melt away as he holds his family tight. Nothing else matters.  
  
Once again, he reads how Princess Unicorn's glittering horn was torn by a thorn, then feigns interest Pikachu’s secret hidden abilities. An hour later, Toby kisses his family goodbye. If every day was like this one for the rest of his life... well, he’d be okay with that.  
  
Dragging his feet to the door, he’s too busy sneaking a last-second wave to notice the arrival of Hank Schillinger into the room.  
  
  
**~ Day 4 ~**  
  
Horn. "Count!"  
  
Breakfast. "Lookin’ to keep yourself regular, huh?"  
  
Work. "Having a good day, Tobias?"  
  
Ten o’clock. "You ready?"  
  
Visiting room. "Daddy!"  
  
_The Unicorn Princess_ and Pokémon cards. "Time’s up."  
  
… Hank Schillinger.  
  
  
**~ Day 5 ~**  
  
Toby believes that he has genuinely lost his mind.  
  
  
**~ Day 6 ~**  
  
Tired of nicking himself, Toby quits shaving. He also gives up on doing his laundry.  
  
  
**~ Day 7 ~**  
  
Toby selects the regular oatmeal at breakfast, just to see what happens.  
  
"Guess you don’t need no help stayin’ regular, huh?" Mr. Smartass announces, and Toby sighs.  
  
  
**~ Day 10 ~**  
  
That evening, Toby deliberately sets fire to his blue pants and gray sweatshirt. McManus puts him in the hole.  
  
  
**~ Day 11 ~**  
  
Toby wakes up in his pod. His only clean clothes are his blue pants and gray sweatshirt.  
  
  
**~ Day 14 ~**  
  
After two weeks, Toby concludes that he’s dead and been sent to hell.  
  
Although, this theory doesn’t exactly hold water. If he was in hell, would he still be blessed with visits from his family?  
  
Maybe it’s more like purgatory—maybe this whole experience is some kind of test, one that will determine his ultimate destination.  
  
Unfortunately, if it’s a test, Toby is pretty sure he’s failing...  
  
Right now, he is *this close* to shanking Mr. Smartass. He’d have already done so, if not for the fear that his punishment would break the cycle of seeing his family.  
  
He is *this close* to telling Sister Pete that she can take her good days and Christmas mornings and shove them up her ass. Thankfully, he still has a trace of moral conscience.  
  
He is *this close* to ripping up Holly’s annoying unicorn book and telling Gary that Pokémon is a stupid game with pointless rules and ridiculous characters. The only thing that stops him is the mental image of his children’s shocked, heartbroken faces.  
  
Toby loves his children with all his heart. Being able to see them every day, if only for an hour, is a privilege he’s not worthy of. He knows that. Whether he’s dead or alive or somewhere in between, he would never put anything or anybody before them.  
  
But…  
  
At this point, Toby’s desire to see Chris has become torturous. He desperately longs for his companionship. The smell of him, the taste of him. His words of comfort and affection. His advice, even when Toby doesn’t want it or agree with it. The heady feeling of his body as he lies underneath Toby, firm and yielding, or that peaceful passivity that Toby experiences as Chris rides him hard from above.  
  
Because, yeah, Toby is also desperately horny.  
  
Toby fears that he may never see Chris again. Just when things start to go right between them, they go all wrong.  
  
  
**~ Day 15 ~**  
  
Toby eats the last of his oatmeal deluxe and vows that today will be different. He has an idea.  
  
Instead of heading off to work, he walks back to his pod. Grabbing a pencil and pad of paper, he sits down on his bed and starts to write.  
  
He composes a story about a young girl named Holly who embarks on a journey to visit to her father. While walking through the woods, she encounters a beautiful unicorn. The creature offers to give her a ride, but Holly is a smart girl. She resists the unicorn’s charms, and it promptly turns into a wolf. Holly valiantly stabs the magical beast with a thorn plucked from a nearby bush, then marches on, arriving at her father’s house safe and sound. The story ends with the two of them enjoying a lovely visit.  
  
It’s nearly ten o’clock when Toby finishes. He quickly skims through the story and derisively snorts at his creative writing skills.  
  
On the other hand, nothing can be worse than that god-awful Princess Unicorn book.  
  
Holding tight to his pad of paper, he leaps out of his bunk and dashes out the door. He needs to find Mineo and make excuses for missing work. As he dances around the tables in Em City’s commons, a pack of abandoned playing cards catches his eye. He thinks of Gary, pauses, and impulsively grabs it.  
  
Toby locates Mineo, who cocks an eyebrow skeptically when Toby describes his short-lived stomach pains. He escorts him to the visiting room nonetheless.  
  
"Daddy!"  
  
Holly waves _The Unicorn Princess_ at him, but Toby gently shakes his head. Pulling her into his lap, he says, "No, honey, there’s something else I want to read to you instead. Something that’s just for you."  
  
He pulls out his pad of paper and hastily gives the story a title. " _The Unicorn’s Disguise,_ by Tobias Beecher."  
  
"That’s you, Daddy! You wrote a story?"  
  
"Yes," Toby answers, hugging his daughter close. "I hope you like it."  
  
Toby begins to read, and Holly is enthralled by his little tale. Even Gary patiently pays attention. When Toby finishes, Holly gives him a big hug.  
  
"I love it, Daddy. I love the happy ending. When I get home after school, I’m going to draw pictures for it. I’ll give them to you during our next visit."  
  
Toby smiles, gratified by her reaction. At the same time, he sadly wonders if he will ever have the opportunity to actually see any of Holly’s drawings.  
  
"Okay, my turn," says Gary, interrupting his thoughts. But when Gary reaches inside his coat, Toby gently places a hand on arm.  
  
"Oh, I have something special for you, too," Toby tells him. He produces the deck of playing cards from out of his pocket. "I know you’re interested in card games," he says as he starts shuffling, "so I thought I’d show you a few tricks that I learned back in college."  
  
Then Toby spreads the cards out in a fan and instructs Gary to "Pick a card, any card."  
  
Nearly twenty years ago, Toby had learned to captivate his drunken fraternity brothers with sleight-of-hand tricks during their all-night keg parties. Regardless of the amount of alcohol in his system, bottom dealing, false shuffling, and back palming all came naturally to him. At campus bars, he had earned free drinks from admiring audiences for every correctly guessed card. Rare was the night when Toby left a bar sober, but his wallet had always been full.  
  
It was like riding a bicycle again. When Toby pulls the ace of spades out from the center of the deck, Gary’s mouth drops open in amazement. Even Toby’s mother laughs and shakes her head.  
  
A few tricks later, Toby realizes that Mineo is standing over his shoulder. He looks up, expecting him to declare, "Time’s up!" Instead, Mineo blurts out, "Do that again."  
  
For the next several minutes, Toby performs various card tricks, entertaining those around him just like he had back at Harvard. Finally, Mineo exclaims, "Christ, look at the time! I’m supposed to have you back by now. Wrap it up."  
  
Toby quickly hugs his children goodbye, but takes a moment to discreetly whisper the secret to one of his tricks in Gary’s ear. Gary’s eyes light up, and he immediately vows to practice the trick at home. Toby tells him with a bittersweet smile that he’s looking forward to watching what Gary can do during their next visit.  
  
Toby turns to leave and accidentally backs up into a young, dark-haired man who is getting ready to take a seat at the adjacent table. Before Toby has a chance to apologize, the guy snaps, "Hey! Watch it, asshole."  
  
Toby hears his mother gasp, and out of the corner of his eye he sees the startled looks on Holly and Gary’s faces before she leads them out of the room. Toby makes a move toward the guy, but Mineo grabs him by the arm and has him out the door before Toby can inflict any bodily harm.  
  
As the two of them make their way back to Em City, they pass Vern Schillinger heading in the opposite direction. Vern glares at him, and Toby realizes with surprise that it’s the first time he’s seen Vern in over two weeks.  
  
****  
  
Toby’s mother pulls the car out onto the road. "So, did you enjoy your visit?"  
  
"Yes!" Gary and Holly answer in unison. Then Holly adds, "At least until the very end, when that weird guy called Daddy a bad word."  
  
Toby’s mother purses her lips. "Well, we’ll just forget about him. Now it’s time to head back to school."  
  
"Ugh," Gary groans. "Do we have to?"  
  
"Yes, you still have the whole afternoon ahead of you. It’s bad enough that you're missing half a day."  
  
Gary and Holly both silently stare out the windows, until Holly exclaims, "I see a robin!"  
  
Their grandmother smiles. "I think Spring is here early. It’s a beautiful day. Your walk home after school should be a nice one."  
  
****  
  
Gary and Holly are halfway home from school when a blue van pulls up alongside them. Hank Schillinger jumps out from behind the wheel and shouts, "Hey, kids."  
  
Gary and Holly stop and stare at him, then look at each other. They don’t move.  
  
Hank takes a couple of steps toward them. "Your grandmother asked me to pick you up."  
  
Again, Gary and Holly exchange looks, communicating wordlessly. "Why?" Gary asks suspiciously.  
  
"There’s some kind of emergency," Hank declares. He pauses a moment, then adds, "She said it was important, and that the two of you are good kids who always do what you’re told."  
  
Holly snorts.  
  
Hank motions toward the van. "You need to get inside."  
  
"I don’t think so," Gary replies.  
  
"Listen, you don’t want to get in trouble, do ya?" Hank says impatiently. "I’m only doin' what your grandmother asked."  
  
"Our grandmother always says don’t take rides from strangers. They could be dangerous."  
  
Hanks grins and moves closer. "Hey, do I look dangerous?" he asks. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out some cards. "Look, we can play Pokémon."  
  
Gary takes the smallest of steps forward, until Holly grabs his arm and whispers, "Remember Daddy’s story?"  
  
Gary abruptly stops. Slowly, he says, "I don’t care much about Pokémon. I like card tricks."  
  
"Oh, I thought all kids liked Pokémon," Hank says, moving closer still. "We could do card tricks instead, if you want."  
  
"Wait!" Holly exclaims, tilting her head. "I know you!"  
  
Hank freezes. "No, I don’t think so."  
  
"Yes! You were in the visiting room this morning. You called Daddy a bad name."  
  
Gary looks quickly from Hank to Holly, then back at Hank again. He starts to back away, pulling Holly with him.  
  
Hank hesitates, but follows them. "I’m sure you’re mistaken. I was nowhere near Oz this morning."  
  
"Who said anything about Oz?" Gary blurts. He turns to run and bumps right into Mrs. Anderson, the nosy neighbor who had been watching their interaction from a distance.  
  
Mrs. Anderson waves a gardening trowel in Hank’s direction. "Is this man bothering you?" she asks Gary.  
  
"Yes!"  
  
Hank stops short, then backs away. When Mrs. Anderson moves toward him, he takes off. He runs back to the van, leaps inside, and peels away from the curb in a cloud of smoke.  
  
But not before Mrs. Anderson memorizes the license plate number.  
  
  
**~ The Next Morning ~**  
  
Murphy sounds the horn. "Count!"  
  
When roll call is over, Toby grabs a towel and staggers to the showers. Barely awake, he stands under the tepid water, waiting for the droplets to wash the cobwebs out of his brain. It takes a while.  
  
Afterwards, he strolls back to his pod, thinking vaguely of his loathsome gray sweatshirt and the dreaded oatmeal deluxe. He opens the pod door, steps inside, and comes to an immediate halt.  
  
There, standing in front of the sink, is Chris, calmly arranging his toiletries on the shelf. Chris turns to face him and softly says, "Hey, Beech."  
  
Toby’s jaw drops open, and he loses his grip on the towel that’s wrapped around his waist. The towel falls gently to the floor.  
  
Chris grins as he looks him up and down. "Trust me, I’m happy to see you, too, but this is neither the time nor the place for what you’re suggesting. Hacks are everywhere."  
  
Toby sheepishly bends down and retrieves his towel. Quickly wrapping it back into place, he walks over to Chris and squeezes his shoulder, solid and hard in his hand.  
  
"It’s really you," Toby gasps, unable to convey the magnitude of this simple observation.  
  
Chris grips Toby's hand in his own, then slowly pulls him into a tight embrace. "Yeah, it's me," he says quietly. "They stab me, they shoot me, but I ain't goin' down."  
  
Toby returns the hug, and, as if on cue, a hack smacks his nightstick against the door.  
  
Toby reluctantly lets go. "Better get dressed," Chris tells him.  
  
Toby looks around the pod for his blue pants and gray sweatshirt and finds them in a crumpled heap on the floor next to the bunk.  
  
It’s where he’d left them the night before.  
  
Toby stares in astonishment at his soiled clothes before quickly putting them on. "It’s a brand new day," he mumbles, willing himself to believe it.  
  
As Chris looks at him quizzically, McManus swings the door open wide and marches into their pod.  
  
"Beecher, we need to talk," he announces.  
  
For a brief moment, Toby thinks he’s about to reprimanded for missing work yesterday. Then McManus breathlessly adds, "… it’s about your children," and Toby’s heart stops.  
  
McManus rubs a hand over his balding head. "There was an incident yesterday afternoon," he continues, clearly agitated. "Your children were walking home from school when a van pulled up beside them. A man stepped out and tried to persuade them to get inside."  
  
McManus apparently reads the alarm on Toby’s face, because he holds his hand up and declares, "It’s okay, they’re all right," and Toby remembers to breathe again.  
  
"They grew suspicious of the guy and began to back away. A neighbor saw what was happening and confronted him. He got back into the van and took off. Luckily, she got its number, and the police were able to track the guy down. Last night, they arrested him for attempted kidnapping."  
  
McManus glances at Chris for a second before returning his attention to a dumbstruck Toby. He swallows hard and adds, "The guy they arrested… is Hank Schillinger."  
  
Toby gasps, and Chris angrily exclaims, "Fuck."  
  
"I know, I know," McManus says. "That was my reaction, too. Hank gave a confession and said that the whole thing was his father’s idea. Apparently, Vern was under the impression that your efforts to track Hank down were all part of some kind of double-dealing plan to fuck with him. So, he decided to fuck with you first."  
  
Toby sits down on the bed’s bottom bunk and buries his face in hands. "I don’t believe it," he mutters. A moment passes before he can look back up at McManus. "I swear, I had nothing but good intentions. Ask Father Mukada if you don’t believe me."  
  
"I believe you," McManus nods. "But this toxic relationship between you and Vern has to end."  
  
"Yeah, well, that’s easier said than done."  
  
"Not anymore." McManus took a deep breath. "The Warden is transferring Vern to Lardner. The paperwork is being drawn up as we speak. This kidnapping stunt was the last straw. Who knows where it could have led?"  
  
McManus’s words hang heavy in the air as their imaginations run wild. Then he shakes his head and walks out, leaving Toby and Chris alone.  
  
Toby slowly looks over at Chris. "Go ahead," he tells him. "Say it."  
  
"I told you so."  
  
"Yes, you did." Toby exhales as he stands back up. "I just can’t believe it. I mean, I know more than anyone what a monster Vern is, but I just cannot believe he went this far."  
  
"I can," Chris says grimly. He walks over to Toby and gently taps his chest. "One of these days, you are going to realize that I have your best interests at heart. Someday, you will realize that I know what I’m talkin’ about and listen to what I say."  
  
With a hand that’s still trembling, Toby reaches out and cups Chris’s neck. He pulls Chris’s head close and places a soft kiss on his lips. "I think that day is today," he whispers. "And I’m glad this day is here."  
  
Chris smiles at him. "C’mon, let’s go to breakfast," he says. As he breaks away and turns toward the door, he adds, "I sure as hell hope they aren't servin’ oatmeal this morning. I had enough of that shit in the hospital."  
  
Toby releases a genuine laugh, although there is a slightly hysterical edge to it. As he falls in step beside Chris, he says, "You have no idea how much I agree with you."  
  
THE END


End file.
